If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

thanks all for the replies.
ok now can i conclude that even if i erase the HDD more than 7 times, i can still recover some data by expensive techniques outside of software?
if that's the case, i might as well throw it into the incinerator ... :-)
( assuming i don't care about money factor and the HDD contains top secret data..example)

I don't recall the specifics, but there are certain US DOD requirements that include burning the platters with caustic substances (read: acid, torch, etc.) and physically marring the surfaces (read: hammer, grinder, sand-blaster etc.) I can't speak definitively about these, but I know there are requirements that include physical alteration of the media to render it harder to recover data.

Anyone have more details? Do we really need anymore?

"Data is not necessarily information. Information does not necessarily lead to knowledge. And knowledge is not always sufficient to discover truth and breed wisdom." --SpafAnyone who is capable of getting themselves made president should on no account be allowed to do the job. --Douglas Adams (1952-2001)
"...people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right." - Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Under UK MoD (our DoD) rules you have to crush, pulverise (as in reduce to powder) then incinerate media used for secret information.

The overwriting is OK for non-sensitive material.

Questions to ask:

1. How valuable are the data to a third party.
2. Are they aware of existence and location.
3. How current are the data (last week's football results are public knowledge.........with next week's you could make some serious money?)

If you are worried about hi tech recovery.........the Marianas Trench is a good repository........not sure if I could trust what lives at the bottom though?